


Secrets

by Dandelion (yukitsubute)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternative End, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, Happy Ending, Hurt Tony, M/M, POV Stephen Strange, Parent Stephen Strange, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Endgame, Spoilers, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange parenting Peter Parker | Supremefamily | Strange Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 19:58:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18645061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukitsubute/pseuds/Dandelion
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERS - DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YETSPOILERSPOILER::::::What if everything was different from what people believed to see?





	Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ironstrange Bingo - prompt was: warmth.

It was the most painful thing Stephen had always seen. They had been on the battlefield and he had seen Tony dying. He had seen him closing his eyes, his arc’s light fading. It had almost broken Stephen. He had seen Peter crying next to Tony, calling out his name again and again. He had seen the others, standing around Tony, most of them crying. 

“Stephen?” He winced when he heard someone calling his name. He turned in his seat. The Sanctum had been empty since Wong had taken some days off, but Stephen liked it. He wanted to drown in his thoughts for hours, thinking about the last years he had missed here, and how much he had wished to be here. “Are you okay?” 

Stephen smiled and stretched his hand. “Come,” he said. His heart beat increased when the man stepped closer and took place on his lap. Stephen nuzzled his head in the other’s neck. “When do you want to tell Peter?” He asked. 

Tony smiled at him. “Soon.” He brushed Stephen’s cheek. 

“I don’t feel good with this lie, Tony,” Stephen admitted. He had seen the others often during the last weeks, and they were all broken and sad. He couldn’t stand seeing Peter depressed like this, but he could also understand Tony. They had come up with this plan before Stephen and the others had turned into dust. It was a silent understanding between Stephen and Tony. 

If this all would be over, Tony wanted to leave, and he wanted everyone to think that he was dead. He didn’t want to give people hope that he would come back one day. He didn’t even want his family and friends to know, because he wanted it to seem real – and he knew his friends wouldn’t have played the role good enough. Something would have leaked and they would have known that Tony was still there. But Tony never wanted to disappear from his friends life, he just wanted to make it look like this, and when no one would talk about him anymore, he would reveal the truth. It was not the best idea - at least in Stephen's opinion, but he knew that Tony wanted it that way.   


“I know, I know,” Tony answered with a soft voice. He leaned closer, kissing Stephen’s lips. “I had to wait five years to get you all back, and I want everyone to calm down and settle things before we go and reveal the truth.” 

“But why Peter? He is so broken, he had missed you most,” Stephen asked. He had been with Peter, and he knew how much he had suffered because of Tony when they had turned to dust and left Tony behind, and he knew how much Peter suffered now because of all this. All in all it wasn’t fair from Tony. 

“I missed him too, but I don’t know,” Tony sighed. He leaned his head against Stephen’s shoulder. “I thought he would spoil everything and we would fail with the plan.” 

“You have to tell him, Tony.” Stephen could feel Tony's breath in his neck. "He loves you most. You are his father, you know?"   


“I know, he is my son. Kind of. Just when he does something stupid, he is yours." Tony tried to joke. He rolled his eyes when Stephen just stared at hom. "I will tell him tonight. Can you invite him?”   


Stephen pulled Tony closer on his lap. He couldn’t tell how much he had missed him in his life. Before he had turned into dust, he had told Tony that there was one way to stop Thanos and to find rest. Stephen had laid a spell on Tony in the final battle to fake his own death, and it had worked. He had organized the funeral, and no one knew that it wasn’t Tony’s ash. It was Tony’s wish, and Stephen hadn’t dared to stop Tony. 

“Of course, I will call him,” Stephen said before he bent forward to kiss Tony. 

~~~

“Stephen, thanks for calling,” Peter said when he entered the Sanctum. He could see the boy had cried – again, and Stephen didn’t know how he’d react when he’d find out the truth now. Peter wouldn’t be all over happy at the beginning, he was sure about that. “I already hoped for some distraction.” Well, Stephen could promise a distraction. 

“Come, Petey, I have …let’s say a surprise for you.” Stephen didn’t know if surprise was the correct word for it. It would definitely be a surprise, but wasn’t a surprise something positive? And he wasn’t sure if this really was something good – at least in the first seconds. 

Peter followed him into the big room upstairs. He could feel Peter tensing behind him, when they reached the table where Tony sat at. Stephen turned to see Peter had stopped walking, just standing there, staring at Tony. “No, no, no. This is a bad joke, a real bad joke.” 

Tony stood up and stepped to Stephen and Peter. Stephen had the urgent wish to disappear right now. He could feel Peter’s anger, and he didn’t like that. “Peter, please, sit down,” Tony asked. “I need to explain some things.” 

“No, you don’t need to explain, Tony. You are here and you made us think that you are dead. End of the explanation.” Peter was about to turn around, but Stephen held him back. 

“Peter, please listen,” Stephen pleaded. 

Peter shook his head. Stephen could see some tears in Peter’s eyes. “Do you have any idea how fucking sad we all were and still are?” 

“I know,” Tony said. “But there was no other way.” 

“Oh, no, there was.” Peter crossed his arms. He was stubborn, and maybe he was right with his thoughts. “You could have told us.” 

Tony sighed. “I know, but I wanted everyone to believe I am not here anymore, because I want ironman to be dead.” 

“We don’t care about ironman, we lost you, Tony. We lost our friend, our mentor, and something like my father. I thought you left us, you were gone. And now you are here, speaking with me.” Now Peter was almost yelling. “And you knew about it?” He asked Stephen. 

“Yes.” Stephen wouldn’t lie about that, even though Tony had always told him, that he didn’t need to be his partner in crime. “I didn’t agree with Tony, but I accepted his wish, because he needed a cut, and he had promised to tell you all about it sooner or later.” 

“It would have been better to tell us beforehand,” Peter complained, but Stephen could see that there was something else in Peter’s eyes. He was damn happy to see Tony, no matter how mad he was about this. And Stephen was right, Peter stepped forward and suddenly his hands were around Tony, and he was sobbing in his chest. “You were gone for me, for us, and now you are here, you are so stupid.” 

Tony brushed Peter’s hair and smiled down at him. Stephen could almost feel Tony’s tension fading. He knew that Tony never wanted to hurt someone in his family. For once he wanted to do what he really wanted, and this was to make ironman disappear from this planet. But he never wanted to make Tony Stark disappear. “I am sorry, kiddo. I just needed everything to look like it was reality. And I knew that none of you would have suffered the way you did if you would have known the truth.” 

“I hate you,” Peter sobbed. “But I am so damn happy that you are back.” 

“I can live with a little hatred when this means I could be with you for the rest of my life without being ironman and without being in danger every second of my life.” 

“So you’ll cook when we are out there?” Stephen asked, trying to lighten the mood. 

Tony cocked his head. “You will be amazed how good I am with housekeeping.” 

Stephen smiled. His heart made a jump when he saw Peter still hugging Tony, his sobs getting less. He stepped to them, wrapping his hands around Peter and Tony. “I am looking forward to this life.” 

“I love you both, 3000 times.” Tony’s hug around them got tighter and Stephen had finally the feeling to have his family back. Warmth spread in him and he never wanted to miss this hug in his entire life. It was a new start, a new chance for them together. And he had the feeling that now even Tony was able to find rest - together with his family.   


**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, 
> 
> I needed to make a fix it fic. I needed to write an alternative ending, because I sooooo suffered at the end of Endgame. :( So here it is, I hope you liked it. <3 
> 
> Comments and kudos are loved


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